Not dead... only sleeping with my eyes open

It has been too long since I updated this haunt blog.  That will get corrected soon.  There are still so many pictures and commentary to be uploaded regarding the very successful 2014 haunt. 

Quick rough stats:  1,500+ ToTs
                               280 +/- guests through the walkthrough yardhaunt
                               8 guests who ckickened out at the yardhaunt door or just barely inside

"... all corpsified and gross."

I resisted last year, not wanting to ruin my skelly... but I think I will need to give in and try my hand at corpsing it.  That is the process where it turns from an obvious plastic skelly into something so nasty and decayed looking that you may wonder if some of the props in The Kerbey House are possibly real.  So I will show him here... his bones naked for only a few days longer.



Here is one of several pics I have created to promote on The Kerbey House page on FB. 

 

www.facebook.com/TheKerbeyHouse.EP

 

 

 

If you somehow found this blog before finding the FB page, please Like or Follow it, as I update that page more often.

"If you don't remove the teeth from the bodies, you can end up with a garden full of evil clowns"

 

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The following pictures are some of the inspiration for part of the walkthrough for 2014.  

Apologies to the original artist, as I don't know who to credit.

 

 

... with a bit of these added in...

 

Build Season 2014

Build Season began for pro haunts months ago since many are already open for business (in other cities), but home haunters like myself are just starting to build our bigger outdoor props and structures.  Lumber is being scavenged, foam sheets are being purchased and carved, and props are being corpsed.

There will be more frequent updates here as the build progresses, but I will try to limit most spoilers.  If you have stumbled across this blog while searching for a haunted house attraction in El Paso (and getting depressed due to how few exist), I hope you will find time on Halloween night to visit... or possibly the night before (Thursday) to catch the more casual pre-show.  You can find us on Kerbey Rd, El Paso TX 79902, not far from UTEP.

This year's show will be improved and expanded from last year, with a focus on the detail work and increasing the creepiness.  I am conducting a search for haunt actors to raise the quality of scares.  If you bring small children through the walkthrough, expect them to have nightmares during the following week.  If you want to see a display that is more "general audience", the front yard cemetery should still be worth the drive here.

The concept stage

The After Action Review

A few months have gone by and many new ideas have been scribbled out.  The 2013 theme was a partial success.  The end scene (murder clown room) was the highpoint, but the initial storyline going with an Evil Dead angle had a limited impact... as people seemed to want to set a speedwalking record as they moved down the dark side yard that was the story setup.  The mid-haunt ghost scene had mixed results (although mostly positive) as many people seemed to prefer looking directly into the projector light in the wrong direction rather than notice the life-size ghost projection that I thought would be obvious.  So while none of these issues were big for any of the guests (ZERO complaints and 200+/- guests), there is room for improvement.

Here are the ideas so far:
1). Reverse the flow.  Rather than starting at the side yard, ending in the detached garage, and dumping the guests into the access alley... have an entrance at the housefront part of the alley directing the guests to the first scene in the detached garage. 

2). No need to force an all encompassing storyline.  I like ghouls and I like demonic-looking murder clowns.  If a storyline means I need to keep one of those groups in storage, then it may be best to just have differing major scenes and accept that people don't care about story when they are running through a yardhaunt.

3). Tarps work, but pallets will be better.  2014 will be my first try at solid walls in the indoor part.  Too many haunter vids online show how effective solid walls and foreshadowing (by being able to partially see the mini-scene ahead) adds to the effect of being more than a middling yardhaunt.

4). The graveyard needs a big upgrade.  The family-friendly graveyard suffered from poor lighting, little cohesion, and few people bothering to read the gravestones.  For 2014, tombs will be built and the ghost projections and possibly cheap animatronics will be added so that a pre-haunt show is provided for the general public.  If a few young kids get scared, they will get over it. 

5). Audio definitely works on guests.  So an upgrade and customized audio will be featured in 2014

6). The haunt needs dedicate actors.  A recruitment drive will need to happen to avoid the actor-related deficiencies of 2013.

7). And this last idea will seem very dated.... but the haunt needs its own FB page.  This will coincide with my ads in HauntNation Magazine.  http://www.hauntnationmag.com/

- Stay scary....

A bit of video from the center of the murder clown room (to show the effect of the multiple DJ lights)

See a post from earlier today for a quick tour of this and most of the other scenes/rooms.

Some pics from inside the last section: the Spider Room...the Murder Clown Room. 

 

Spider video, with leaping spider prop nearby...

 



 

... and then you turn the corner 



 

   

 

 

 

And the lesson all haunters learn AFTER they tear everything down is to make sure to photo everything twice.  Unfortunately, I forgot to photo half of it once to share here. 

  

The Morning After

Here are some day-after pics of the walkthrough to better show the detail.  Everything looked more foreboding and less fake at night, but that didn't't photo well.  These pics are more for other haunters to share ideas.  These three are of the middle part, the "Dead Do Not Rest" mini graveyard.  The curtain area is the ghost projection screen and also acts as a hidden doorway into the workshed and garage behind it.  Although the curtain is yellow, it blended with the grey at night time and reflected the ghost images well.  Many hesitated walking through it into the rest of the haunt, not knowing that there was still a building left to go though.

VIDEO WALKTHROUGH TIME !!!!!

Halloween has passed, I have wasted the day recovering, and we have more candy left over than any couple should.  The problem with our usual 1,000+ TOTs (trick-or-treaters) turnout was that the city is taking forever to install a roundabout nearby and had closed the streets to thru traffic.  Some ignored that, but not enough.  I think we may have had 300+.  That number is impressive for most haunters, but we had bought candy and small toys/junk for 1,200.  So our waistlines and dental health will take a beating this winter.  The walkthrough haunt was a success.  No injuries, no complaints, many thrilled people, and around 120 went through.  I didn't count.  My actors no-showed for the first hour or so, making it a stressful beginning.  And my usually dependable landscape lighting failed in parts.  And there was wind bashing tarps about.  But still... a success.  Many haunt fans were created, and I suspect they will tell others and return next year.  Only one failure dad... being an idiot who liked to terrorize his young kid throughout the haunt, likely creating a kid who never wants to go through one again.  And the dad thought it was funny.  Again, only one out of 120 people, so it was expected.  On another positive, my elderly neighbor went through, loved it, came back a second time with his equally elderly wife who had to take a break midway through (was worried I was about to have my first ambulance call), but still finished up through the rougher parts and also loved it.

BAD NEWS:   I TOOK NO VIDEO OF THE HAUNT DURING HALLOWEEN.  And for that I must apologize. :(  But I was practically solo and had know opportunity to play cameraman while herding people through.  Do not underestimate the ability for people to get lost in your backyard at night. 

GOOD NEWS:  I did take Nov 1 walkthrough vids, posted below.  My phone doesn't do well in very low light, so I had to opt for afternoon shade to be able to show any detail. Pardon the shaky-cam.


Part 1: the sideyard entrance going through a small staging area, the witch's room, the ghoul alley with alter and gore (that no one really noticed!), and ending at the backyard graveyard.  Again, everything looked much better in the moonlight.

 

 

 

 

Part 2: the backyard graveyard has its main feature as a ghost projection (not seen in this vid) that acted as a hidden doorway into the detached garage.  The tree canopy and surrounding vines and bushes did much to disorient guests.  And as I commented in the video, quite a few became confused and stared right into the projector rather than notice the large, cool ghost being projected on the screen.  So I had to be nearby to help verbally guide them through the curtain.  The bonus for that situation is that those guests were somewhat blinded going into the workshed portion; a strobe room.

 

 

Where is the strobe room vid?  Well... it didn't make the cut for these videos.  I may attempt one later, but I was unimpressed with the way it looked onscreen.  It was, however, a big hit for the guests.  I used the AtmosFEARfx Critters 2 DVD, looping roaches, spiders, rats, and snakes... all on a 42" LCD, with fog, webs, and fake critters all around, and one of those large lunging spider animatronics being activated by a step pad by them.

Moving On!  This final segment is my descent into madness... evil clowns... dj lights... hanging flesh on hooks... and TVs loudly playing messed up videos.  Simple blue tarps were used as walls to allow for a more fluid setup.  The video ends going into the last room, where 2 more dummy props were standing and a table was set up for an actor to be attacked by another actor.  It was the chainsaw end, so to speak.  No chainsaw, but guests lost their minds and ran out of the garage down the 80 feet of service alley back to the front yard.

 

 

I will try to take some video of the ghost curtain and strobe room later tonight to do them better justice.  They were definite highlights of the haunt and will be used again in next year's setup.

 

 

I also have taken some photos that I will post for those that don't want to get motionsick from watching the videos above.

 



La Llorona

 

La Llorona gets her own mini tomb in the front graveyard.  This is the only thing in the general public area that might freak out the very youngest Trick or Treaters (TOTs). 

 And in case the video fails to load (... a problem on BlogSpot), here is a pic.

 

 

The front graveyard has been deployed!  I am not sure if I will try to put in a few more or go with what I have.  Most are oriented towards the house.  A few are toward the street (that should be closed to traffic on haunt nights).  And the few that are more horror related will be sequestered to the walkthrough haunt area. 

 

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One gravestone doesn't really fit with the others and may be the only of its kind in home haunts.  I got the idea from a Canadian goth cartoon from a few years ago that is more entertaining than it should be to me and my wife.  But it is often weird Canadian humor, and that works well with Halloween.  I present... the Ruby Gloom inspired stone.  Doom Kitty and Scaredy Bat.  Don't judge me.



Another day working on props.  Today, mostly painting gravestones and trying out different scene setups in the old hag / la bruja hut.  A mere 13 more days to go until opening night.   

Are there any Browncoats in the audience?  Here is a headstone/monument that I finished today to go with my seemingly Netflix cue list theme.  My haunt isn't all about horror.  The graveyard in the front will be a general public friendly zone... hence the tribute to Jayne.  Of the thousand Trick or Treaters we will get, I will be surprised if five get the reference.  But I suspect those five will find it awesome, so it is all worth it.  The text will show better at night with directed lighting.  Stay shiny!

Dead tree limbs and white faces.  I did this last year when I attempted my first poor man's graveyard display (made from cardboard).  I had pruned a tree earlier and tried to prop up branches throughout the yard like a big dead overgrown graveyard.  People seemed to like it.  The thing is, El Paso is incredibly weak regarding Halloween displays, so it doesn't take much to impress.  So anyone reading this that lives in El Paso has no good excuse to not throw something together this or next year.  Back to the pic... I tossed a handful of cheap white masks onto the branches and they caught the lamp light pretty well.  Each looked quite creepy when viewed at the right angle.

The dead tree thing won't be done this year.  But it did serve as a great test regarding the tolerance of my incredibly cool neighbors who did not complain.  So I am pretty sure they are going to like what I put out this year. 

I will try to rely on natural light during the walkthrough haunt for all of the outdoor scenes where possible, aside from accent lights for emphasis and effect.  There is something about the shadowplay cause by ambient light that cannot be recreated with dragging out floodlights and spotlights.  Besides, what the eye can't fully see (regarding detail on the props and actors), the mind automatically fills in and interprets... usually not for the mental calm of the viewer.  My little friend pictured above is obviously no real threat in full sunlight or fully illuminated by lamp.  But in moonlight, I expect even he will get a few reactions.  The vines that are not seen here, but are nearby, have a tendency to reach out and try to grab you when you walk past them in the moonlight.  It would be a pity to lose that by flooding the area with electric lights.

Back into the evil clown room again.  The "flesh" has been added to the ceiling hooks and the lighting placement is working well so far.  To ensure the best possible showing, I try to leave the room often to return later for a different perspective.  This has allowed me to move a few small elements around to get a better balance and has also made me realize that one particular prop may be the death of me.  Or at the very least, I may injure my hand sometime soon by reaction-punching this thing, as it consistently causes me to flinch every time I pass it.  And most of the time I remember that it is there.  It is just that the placement, shadows, and form of the prop is as close to perfect as I think I could make it... considering it is a mask and a cloak and not much more.  If anything I have causes a guest to go fetal or run straight into the nearby wall, this is the one.  So I will not show it here.  If you want to see it, you will need to visit on October 30th or 31st after sunset.

HOWEVER, I will gladly show you Goonie the Clown sitting under a spinning DJ light.  His favorite show will be playing on a nearby TV.  He looks like he might stand up at any moment.  And on haunt night, he just might do that.

You may live next to a haunter if you look into their back yard and see something like this.  Gravestones require many coats of paint to look good.  And one can never have enough random lumber.  The open door in the background is the entrance to the final rooms of the walkthrough.  Looks perfectly safe to wander into at night, no?

The evil clown room... the final part of the walkthrough... is starting to come to life.  What you see here won't necessarily be how you see it on haunt night.  There is so much more to do.  Hopefully there is a little bit of something in this room to make an impression on all who enter.  RULE: No young children are allowed in.  The rest of the haunt will be bad enough for young minds.  The goal here is to have at least one victim go fetal and have to be carried out.  There are more than just props to deal with in here. 

 

Every demonic hag needs a copy of the Necronomicon.  There really is no good alternative when conjuring demons and having any hope of controlling them.  So here is mine... or hers.  Admittedly it is a bit too glossy in the final pic, but I am thinking it will show better at night.  

 

Step 1)  Locate unwanted book and slather on liquid latex in the form of a Necronomicon face.  There are many out there, so no need to try to be exact.  I use a cheap silicone spatula since it allows for a bit of a sculpting effect rather than brushing, and the later dried latex easily peels off.  If possible, push in bits of previously dried scraps into the drying face to add a nasty textural element.  

 

Step 2) Paint on a diluted calligraphy ink to both tint the latex and have the ink pool in the recesses, giving good definition and gloss.  I used reds, a brown, and a black.

 

Step 3) Touch up with acrylic paint where needed and apply further diluted ink to get more warm tinting. 

 

 The finished product has a definite flesh texture, where it is pliable but otherwise firm.  The sheen from the inks makes the book appear to still be wet, as if recently made.  The bits that were added in have cause at least one tester to shiver and pull their hand away.  Not bad for roughly $1 in material costs (assuming you have the inks and paints already).

I am too happy with one of the lights I ordered for my garage haunt, the last part of the yardhaunt walkthrough.  I took a chance on some things from Amazon that received mixed reviews.  If this light is still working after Halloween, I will have no regrets about this purchase.  I think it had cost around $13 after shipping... from China (arriving before the domestically shipped stuff somehow).  LED too.  Plugs into a regular bulb outlet and has a motorized spinning dome to create the effect.

My first 100% original prop is finished!  I had made the model with Plastalina clay and then made a cast with Plaster of Paris this summer.  I recently received my Monster Maker RD 407 Mask Latex, brushed on a casting, and this is also my first try at painting.  The goal was to have a ripped off face to hang from a hook in the garden walkthrough.  There will be more. 

Today was the first big walkthrough haunt area prop dump... where I am trying out different locations for the many props that will be outdoors.  My indoor prop dump happened a few days ago, but it is chaos in there so I won't show that just yet.  Just because you see something here doesn't mean that you will see it the same way on haunt nights.  I will wait until sunset to see what everything looks like in the moonlight and landscape lighting.  The skelly here seems less like a murder victim and more like someone who died of heat exhaustion... which is still believable here.  I am pretty happy with the spider so far.  I will need to see if he shows in moonlight.  The face in the vines isn't much by daylight, but I have a good feeling about it showing well at night.

The aerial map with a crude overlay of the haunt layout and points of interest.  The haunt is boundaried by my house and a 5 foot rockwall with iron.

I will try to minimize any spoilers.  1) Front entrance tent. 2) Real entrance to the sideyard. 3) First scene, mostly enclosed. 4) Second scene, gory. 5) Dark creep, heavy vegetation. 6) Somewhat open yard under the tree canopy, with 1st possible exit if anyone wants to quit. 7) Attached workshed, the entrance to the garage haunt. 8) Garage haunt, with final exit near where the vehicle is pictured.  Both exits dump guests into a large access alley to return to the front yard.

POI: A) TOT area, kid friendly.  B) Not my pool, behind a 12 foot rockwall.  C) Cool neighbor that doesn't mind my having a haunt.  D) My 73 Buick... to be parked in the front under the tree.  E) The access alley.  G1) Main graveyard, family friendly.  G2) Pet cemetery.  G3) Creepy graveyard within the haunt.

The Evil Dead series had an 1973 Olds Eighty Eight.  I have its slightly more classy sibling, a 1973 Buick Electra 225 Custom.  Different grill, near-same obnoxious engine.  Am thinking of cheesing it up with a homemade deadite or two inside for a bit of a creep factor before the TOTs get to our door and the others get to the yardhaunt. 

A practice run indoors with the Ghostly Apparitions DVD in a dimly lit room in the afternoon.  This is using a 150 lumens projector (i.e. inexpensive)... so it will be more than adequate during the night of the haunt outdoors.  To be only seen in the walkthrough.